Horse-detacher



(No Model.)v

W. L. & P. M. MI'IZEL.

HORSE DBTAGHER. No. 360,717. PatentedApr. 5, 1887.

INVENTOR L BY%% ATTRNBYS.

N. PETERSY PnoloLithognpMr. Walhingtnn. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VALTER L. MITZEL AND PHILlP M. MITZEL, OF FELTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

HORSE-DETACHER.

SPECIFICATION forming parl; of Letters Patent N0. 360,717, dated April 5, 1887.

Application lcd February 5, i887,

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WALTER L. MITZEL and PHILIP M. MI'rZEL, of Felton, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Trace- Releasing Attachments for Single -Trees, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide a trace-releasing attachment for single-trees designed to permit the driver to disconnect the traces of a fractions horse from the single-tree of the carriage, the device being in the nature of a safety attachment to prevent the destruction of the carriage or injury to the occupants; and it consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts, which I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l Ais a plan View of the single-tree with oneehalf cut lengthwise in horizontal section. Fig. 2 is a rear side view ofthe singletree; and Fig. 3, a cross-section through line x 1v, Fig. l.

A represents the single-tree, made of hard wood in the usual manner, and having upon its outer ends the ferrules B. The center of each end of the single-tree is bored out to receive a retractible sliding bolt, C, which pro jects through a hole in the end oi' the ferrule t0 pass through and form a connection for the eye of the trace T, which latter is prevented from slipping off by ilat springs G G on opposite sides of the bolt, which springs diverge as they extend to the end of the bolt. This bolt is projected outwardly by a spiral spring, D, wound around the shank of the bolt in the socket, and bearing at one end against a shoulder of the bolt C and at the other end against a washer, E, in the bottom of the socket, through which the shank of the bolt passes, and by which it is guided in its play. To prevent the bolt from being pushed out too far by the spring, a shoulder, c, is formed on said bolt, that strikes against the ferrule and limits the outward movement.

On the inner end of the bolt is formed an Serial No. 226,701. (No model.)

eye or hook for a flexible connection, L,whieh is preferably a cord or wire or fiber, but in the place of which a chain, strap, or other flexible connection may be used. This flexible cord passes through a central longitudinal hole in the single-tree toward the center, and the cord from each end passes around a pulley, F, and connects on the rear side of the single-tree with a plate, J, having a ring or other connection, to which a cord or strap, K, is detachably fastened, which strap. extends to the carriage andis fastened to some convenient bitching-point to be pulled by hand or foot when desired.

Now, it will be seen that whenever a horse becomes fractions and exhibits`atendency to become so unruly as to endanger the carriage or its occupants the driver pulls the strap K, and this, acting upon the cords L, withdraws the bolts liuto the single-tree and pulls the outer ends of the same from the eyes of the trace, thus immediatelydetaching the horse. As the bolt G passes inwardly, it will be seen that the divergent springs G G shut up or lie flat against the bolt, and when tension is released and the bolt passes outwardly these springs open again. The pulleys F are arranged be tween ears or lugs H, formed on a metal plate or bar, l, which extends the full distance between the ferrules, and is screwed both to the single-tree and the ferrules, and serves to both strengthen and brace the single-tree and hold the ferrules outhesame. Thisinanner of constructing and arranging the pulleys, it will be seen, renders it only necessary to cut two small mortises in the single-tree to receive the lugs of bar I, and forms a very convenient and praetical means of applying our invention.

' Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is- 1. The combination, with the single-tree, of the springseated retractible bolt arranged in the end of the singletree and provided with divergent springs G G and means for operating the same, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a single-tree havsigned by us in the presence of tWo subscribin g Witnesses.

WALTER L. MITZEL. PHILIP M. MITZEL.

Witnesses to the signature of VVzLIter L. Mitzel:

VILLIAM C. SMITH, H. C'. PRoUDFooT.

Vitnesses to the signature of Philip M. Mit- Zei:

SoLoN C. KEMON, Guns. A. PETTIT. 

